


Pairs

by HK44



Series: Percy At The Nome [3]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: Drabble, Ficlet, mentions of past relationships - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-25
Updated: 2020-05-25
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:54:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24371626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HK44/pseuds/HK44
Summary: Nico’s eyes were dark as always. Any emotion he was feeling was carefully masked. He dropped to a squat, blade glinting on his hip. “I’m sorry.”“I’m not,” Percy admitted. “Outside of everything, we had… way different interests. Staying with her was like trying to get a stray cat to stay inside. It was just mean - for both of us. So we broke up.”
Series: Percy At The Nome [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1759660
Comments: 2
Kudos: 49





	Pairs

“What happened?”

Percy folded his pants and put them away. His mom did not raise a slob. He focused on the motions, the repetition of it, until all that remained off his laundry, fresh from the dryer and warm, was a small cluster of socks and a sense of ease.

He licked his lips. “We broke up.”

Nico’s eyes were dark as always. Any emotion he was feeling was carefully masked. He dropped to a squat, blade glinting on his hip. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m not,” Percy admitted. “Outside of everything, we had… _way_ different interests. Staying with her was like trying to get a stray cat to stay inside. It was just mean - for both of us. So we broke up.”

“I’m still sorry.”

“Don’t be.” Percy glanced around for the missing sock to the one in his lap. “We all can’t last forever.” He found the missing pair but when it came to wrapping them together, it was half an inch longer than he’d expected. He laid them both back down, separate but still together. “How’s it going with, uh, Will?”

“Different interests,” Nico said. He didn’t sound all that bothered. “I mean, I work for my father and he never wanted me to use my powers or leave camp. So…”

Percy bit his lip, unsure how he was supposed to respond to that. “Sorry?”

“Don’t be.” Nico’s legs slid out from under him until he was sitting down for once. His shoulders were still pulled back, tense. “My father’s not as much as a dick as people think. He likes his children. And the work is fun. Sometimes he joins me.”

That felt like a stab to the gut, as it did when Percy hung around the Nome and saw different gods flood in and out. A reminder of what he was lacking, what he could’ve had and wasn’t given. He ignored it.

“I meant about Will.”

Nico cocked his head. His eyes traced the outline of Percy’s face before steadying on his eyes. “Don’t be. I think I just used him to give me a reason not to think about you anyway.”

Another stab to the gut. “Oh.” Suddenly he felt stripped open, exposed. He looked down. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be.”

He jerked ever so slightly, Nico suddenly at his side. His breath was cold against Percy’s cheek. Wisps of shadows faded and clung around his skin, casting him like a haunt. For a moment, Percy could understand why Persephone would follow her husband into the Underworld. There was something about the way the darkness lingered that made Percy want to reach in and pull Nico out. Teach him that he didn’t have to hide in the shadows anymore.

That it was safe to be seen.

Nico lifted two socks. “I found the pairs,” he said and his voice was so quiet. Percy took them. “I’ll see you later, Percy.”

He melted away into his own shadow, vanishing without another a word and without giving Percy the chance to beg him to stay. Percy stared at the spot. Hollowness was building into his chest. He looked away and gathered the other two socks back up, quietly folding them each together with their matching pair.

Then he stood up, dusted off his pants and walked out the door to the sound of Sadie’s voice yelling that dinner was ready.


End file.
